A Mother's Betrayal: Past Reflections
by MickeyRos
Summary: This story is a prequel to A Mother's Betrayal that deals with the everything that lead up to events in AMB. All parts up!
1. 1

**Author's Note**: Okay, after debating for a while about where to put these installments of AMB I've decided that I would make a separate series altogether of the events that took place before AMB. There are going to be a total of three parts and each part can act as a complete event. At some point they may be expounded but for the moment I will leave them as is. And in case anyone is wondering I am continuing with AMB, the next few chapters a have already been planned out and will be written accordingly.

**Disclaimer**: HP is not my creation as it has been a work of JK Rowlings, I am simply borrowing them for the time being.

**Spoilers**: At least up to GOF

**Summary**: Takes place six years before _A Mother's Betrayal_ The story begins after

Hermione had first been captured by the Death Eaters and was sentenced to death.

**A Mother's Betrayal: Past Reflections**

**Part One**

She'd been locked in the dungeon for two or three days, she wasn't sure how long. When she'd first been brought down she'd been unconscious. She'd woken up chained by her wrists against the stone wall. On her second conscious day, he'd come to see her. He walked into the stoned dungeon with a hooded cape ordering the two Death Eaters guarding her to leave.

"Leave us."

"But, Lord Voldemort—,"

The hooded man held up his hand. "I didn't ask you what the Dark Lord said I _ordered you _to leave. Do not forget your place." His silken voice threatened.

The two guards looked at each other scared; they'd both heard tales of his feats in his early years as a Death Eater that alone struck fear into their coarse hearts. It didn't do well to cross him. So without another word they left the dungeon, in a hurry.

The man waited until the guards left, before whispering a charm that Hermione recognized as one that would render the room sound-proof. After a few moments the man lowered the black hood. Seeing only the pale hair, she knew who her tormentor would be.

"Draco Malfoy, I should have known." She spit out. "I knew you couldn't be trusted."

"Contrary to how nefarious you believe me to be, your actions, your mistakes are all your own, Granger. I didn't need to do anything. Need I remind that I warned you and your little boyfriend that your plan would never work."

"If you've come to gloat, Malfoy. I don't want to hear it. We have nothing to talk about. Get out." She looked away from the intensity gaze of his silvery eyes. "I've been told that tomorrow I shall be killed. So if you don't mind I'd rather spend my last hours, alone." She gazed out the small window of her cell.

"How pathetic! I expected better from you."

"What?" She turned back to him angry that he would dare insult her in a time like this.

"As much as it pains me to say, you are-were the smartest witch at Hogwarts. To not fight and just simply die at the hands of Voldemort —a noble little death for a noble little Mudblood— _pathetic _is what it is."

"Well, I'd rather die fighting for a noble cause. Then to die as a follower without cause, you annoying little prat."

"And what if I had a way for you to continue your fight against Voldemort?"

Swallowing hesitantly she rose to her feet. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't have a lot of time and I'll need your answer today. You do want to help Potter defeat Voldemort?"

"Of course I do."

"Then marry me."

"What?" Hermione said surprised. Of all things she had not expected Malfoy to propose to her.

"You heard me."

"Yes, I _bloody_ well heard you," she said between clenched teeth. "You can't be serious. I-I don't even like you."

"Believe me the feeling is entirely mutual."

"Then why offer marriage?" She asked suspiciously thinking of a couple of reasons off the top her head. She inwardly cringed at the thought of him wanting to marry her for more nefarious purposes.

Snorting indelicately Draco examined his perfectly manicured nails as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You can relax Granger; I have no designs on shagging you senseless. This is simply a business arrangement, a one-time offer, do you accept my proposal or not?"

Hermione considered the proposal for a moment. "I'll give you my answer if you tell me why. Why are saving me? What do you get out of it?"

Draco walked to the cell doors waving a hand over the lock he entered the cell. Standing by the open doorway he studied her for a moment. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in seeing that I make it out of this war in one piece. I don't like to lose and I will do whatever it takes to win."

"Even marry a Mudblood like me. Tell me something if Harry had been the one to get caught what would you have done then?"

He walked in closer until he was merely an arms distance away from her. "I would have killed him where he stood." He leaned in close to her; she would have turned her head away he hadn't jerked her forward so they were standing chest to chest. "Didn't you think it strange to be placed in a cell all on your own and not touched—raped or tortured? In a time of war? Even a Mudblood such as yourself should make a few connections. It's any wonder you Gryffindors were ever able to get anything done. We all do what we have to do survive, Hermione. The question is how far are _you_ willing to go?" He released taking her face roughly in his hands as he forced her to meet his gaze. "With my name and all your power you be untouchable." He released her face and stared down at her intently.

"I can't fake being in love—,"

"Love," he scoffed. "_Love_ has nothing to do with this. This is about survival of the fittest, Hermione. You want to survive, to fight, then do it with me. I've seen you in battle, you're a fierce competitor. Voldemort would be a fool to kill you if he thinks you've switched sides. Marry me and he won't doubt your faith." Hearing footsteps in the corridor he swore silently undoing the silencing charm. He looked back down at Hermione intently. "Marry me or die. Your choice."

Looking up at her longtime school nemesis Hermione realized that she would only have this one chance to save herself. But, could she do it? Could she marry Draco? The footsteps ended outside the doorway, she glanced up at Draco and prayed she was doing the right thing. "I'll marry you."

Before she could say and do anything else Draco jerked her forward pressing his lips against hers, his mouth quieting her squeal of surprise. "The game begins now, Hermione." He whispered against her mouth before pulling back from her. "Guards." Hermione stared at him bewildered that he had just kissed her.

The two guards came bumbling into the room. "My lord,"

"Release her."

The guards glanced at each other questioningly before one of them gathered the courage to speak. "B-but my … Lord Voldemort said—,"

"You dare defy _me_?" He asked in his coolest tone betraying a mere hint of a threat as he turned to foolish guards. "I said release her."

"N-no, no my lord." One of the guards hurriedly searched for his keys and entered the cell to unchain Hermione.

Smirking as he grabbed Hermione's freed wrist he raised it to his lips and kissed it. "My bride should not chained."

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	2. 2

**Disclaimer**: See Part One.

**Summary**: It occurs directly after Hermione has given birth to Elana and Ariel.

**Part Two**

Hermione stood over the identical bassinets watching her children as they slept. She never expected to be a mother, to get married really. And she certainly didn't expect that of all people she would not only marry Draco Malfoy but to bear his children as well. She searched each child's face hoping to find some feature that would show that they were truly hers … but she could find none. While, she certainly hadn't expected them to be miniature replicas of herself she had thought that there would be some trace of her in them. And in the few weeks since they'd been born she'd found that they had more than their fair share of Malfoy features.

"It's strange isn't it, how much they resemble their father yet look nothing like the mother."

Hermione turned stiffly placing herself between her children and their grandfather as he smoothly walked into the room with the aid of cane. "What are you doing here Lucius?"

Pale eyebrows rose at her protective stance as Lucius moved with ease into the room until he towered slightly above her peering down his nose at his barely two week old grandchildren. "I've come to see _my_ grandchildren, if you don't mind." He waited for her to move placing his steel cold gaze on her until she did.

Hermione moved to the side suspiciously watching him as she allowed Lucius to see her young son and daughter. It was the first time he seemed to have any interest in the children outside of when Narcissa forced him to come see them. She might not like the man, nor did she really trust him but she was living in his home and he was now the grandfather of her children … and would always be so she'd have to make do. She watched as Lucius ran a finger across Elana's cheek. Her daughter unconsciously turned toward the touch as her lips pursued together in a reflexive suckling motion. Lucius smiled.

"Did you know _Ms. Granger,_ when Draco approached me about marrying you to keep you from suffering the Dementor's Kiss; it was my suggestion that he let you die." In that one instant any neutral feelings Hermione had promised herself she'd held for Lucius vanished as she tensed, standing up straighter. He turned toward her then fixing her with his cold grey eyes. "Were it not for the presence of my grandchildren, I'd kill you myself."

She froze, glaring at the older man as he simply returned to gazing at his grandchildren with a small smirk. "That's comforting to know. As much as I am enjoying your company, it behooves me that there must be something else that requires your attention, _far_ away from me and my children."

"Now, now Ms. Granger, there is no need to get upset after all I would think it prudent that there be no need to tell lies and such to one another. Despite the fact that we now share a blood link, I see no reason why we should sully ourselves with half truths to one another. Unlike my son, I prefer to claim no ignorance to your linage – on the fact that you _are_ a Mudblood."

"As if I didn't already know that and the name is _Malfoy_." She bit back even though she wasn't quite sure what she felt for Draco or their marriage. They were in fact married and it was time Lucius acknowledged it.

"Be sure not to forget yourself, _Ms. Granger_ I am one of the few people who know just how cold and calculating you really are." His eyes turning colder which reminded Hermione of another time as her eyes unwittingly traveled to his injured leg. "That however, is of no consequence in this matter. Other than of course to say that I don't like nor do I trust you."

Her newly ample chest rose as she crossed her arms over it and studied Lucius momentarily. "The feeling is entirely mutual, Mr. Malfoy. So given our mutual dislike, what exactly is it that you want from me?"

Lucius eyed her critically before moving to address her from the other side of bassinet. "I have a proposition for you."

"What sort of proposition?" She asked suspiciously.

His brow lifting sardonically as he gave her a small sneer. "Not what you're thinking, I'm sure. I have no predilection for tainting myself with a Mudblood."

Hermione rolled her eyes in return.

"How would you like to return to your Muggle home and see your parents?"

"For how long?" She asked forgetting, for a moment in her desperation, that she was dealing with Lucius and that no deals with him would be made without a sacrifice. She'd longed to see her parents once more; it had been nearly three years. She bit her lip hesitantly as she thought of how surprised everyone would be to see her when she returned married with children to Draco Malfoy.

"A month, maybe two it would depend entirely on you, my dear Ms. Granger."

Gazing at her children she pondered if she would be able to return to her former life as Hermione Granger, once Head Girl, friend of the Boy who Lived with _children_. Then, another thought occurred to her, what about Draco? He was extremely protective of their twins, there were charms guarding the children around the clock since their birth. Would he even willing to allow her to take the children with her when she returned? "What about Draco?"

"My son has no problem with you returning home to see your family. The children however must remain here—,"

"I won't leave my children," she interrupted. "If I return they have to go with me … I'm still … I'm still …" she paused as felt heat flood into her face. "I'm breast feeding them. And even if I wasn't I couldn't leave my children."

Lucius bared a malicious smile and raised brow before returning his gaze to his grandchildren. "There are ways; we could wean them from your breast milk. Don't be naïve enough to thinking that they could not live without you." Lucius' eyes flashed with an unveiled threat but Hermione was too lost in her own thoughts to notice. "They won't be here alone after all. Draco, will of course be here and as I am sure you are relieved to know so will Narcissa. The children will not wont for a thing."

Although, she would miss her children greatly she needed to see her parents again. She debated inwardly whether she could go to just be Hermione Granger for one brief period of time if just to reacquaint her parents before she introduced them to her children. "I accept your proposition with a few conditions of my own."

"Of course," he acquiesced awaiting her conditions.

"I don't want to leave while Elana and Ariel are still feeding from me and quite frankly two weeks old is too young for me to wean them." She didn't mention that she couldn't bear to leave the twins so early. "And I don't want anyone to know just yet that Draco and I are married. I want to tell them in my own time." One of the twins started to cry.

"That seems quite appropriate. I agree to your terms Ms. Granger."

"Good." Hermione agreed and turned her children, seeing that Elana was awaken, it was feeding time. "Now if you will excuse me, I need to tend to my children." She leaned down and plucked up her daughter from the bassinet cradling the child to her chest.

"Yes, of course. I'll see to getting the arrangements made for your departure." Bowing back slightly Lucius walked around the bassinet leaving Hermione and her children alone.

Gathering Elana closer to her she watched as he left before moving to the rocking chair and unbuttoning her blouse.

**Please tell me what you think – Feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	3. 3

**Author Notes**: FINAL PART – This part take place during the current timeline of AMB, it begins after Hermione returns home with her wedding ring from Draco. And then it shifts into two flashbacks of previous events. Italics represents all events happening in the present.

**Disclaimer**: See Part One

**Summary**: Hermione recalls returning Malfoy Manor and her final meeting with Draco.

**Part Three**

_Hermione sat down alone in her parents' living room. She couldn't sleep. Settling down in the armchair before the fireplace she pulled out the ring that Draco had given her many years before. Knees up, her hands propped on top she stared at the diamond gleaming from the firelight._

_"How could this have happened? I was only supposed to be gone a week." She whispered. She loved her children despite who their father was. It made no sense to her how … why she would ever leave her children. Even now nearly three years later she didn't understand how it could have been happened … _

Hermione had just arrived back at the Malfoy Manor via the Floo network from her parents' home. Being dusty and dirty from the floo powder and chimney dust was not the look however, she wanted when she was finally reunited with her children. As she stood under the warm spray of the water she thought about how good it would be to see her children. She wondered how much they'd grown since she'd been gone. If they would remember her as vividly as she did them. Before she got buried under thoughts of missing her children she turned off the water and wrapped herself in a warm towel. Swiping the mirror dry with a wave of her hand she unclipped her hair and stared at the thick mane of waves that tumbled to her shoulders. Sighing she combed her hair until it was managble and placed it into a ponytail out of her face before returning to her room.

She reentered the room intending to go to her closet and pull out some jeans when a lamp suddenly came on with a pop revealing Draco sitting back in the darkness. The only bit of light was reflected in his fair hair which was layered on his shoulders gleaming in darkness.

"Merlin, Draco, you scared me." Hermione said clutching the towel to her chest. She relaxed a little when she realized that it was just him and went about getting her clothes. Going behind the Chinese shade she quickly pulled on her undergarments, dropping the towel to the floor. Then she pulled on her jeans and shirt. "Draco, what are you doing here?" She came from behind the shade.

"I didn't know a husband needed permission to visit his wife's bedchamber."

"He does if they don't share a bed." She answered watching wearily as he rose smoothly from his chair to the armoire still encased in the shadows. He was strangely quiet.

He looked down at her things. "So, how are your parents? I trust your visit went well?"

"Yes, it was wonderful. Although, I honestly didn't expect to be gone as long—,"

"Where did you go? I tried to contact you several times after you left and never received any response from neither my letters nor calls."

Frowning, Hermione walked around her room. "My parents took me to America, the United States for a-a vacation of sorts. I guess they thought I needed some time away from the Wizarding World. They wouldn't let me bring anything, not my wand or even parchment. I'm sorry I couldn't contact you. I—did anything happen?"

Draco turned at her question. His eyes grew distant, inward a strange smile if it could be called that. He crossed his arms. "I guess that depends really." He stared at her with eyes the color of liquid steel.

Pulling herself back from being lost in his eyes she asked, "On what?"

"Well, on whether, you consider the twins needing mediwitch important or not."

"What? What happened? Are the okay?"

"Ear infections and they're fine now."

"That's a relief. But, if you don't mind I'd like to see for myself." She said intending to head to the nursery. As she twisted the knob of the door, Draco's hand came up and slammed the door shut. "What do you think you're doing?"

"They aren't here. A friend is watching them for me."

She turned around annoyed that her children weren't home. "A friend? Just who is this friend?"

"Pansy Parkinson."

"How dare you let that woman near my children? She's more interested in getting you into bed than she is taking care of children. Unless of course you're already warming her bed."

"I don't think you want to go there Hermione. Unlike, you I was faithful to my marriage vows as false as they maybe." His eyes drilled through her with their silver gleam. "Yes, I know all about you and _Potter_."

Shaking her head, she tried to form the words to tell him what had happened. "It's not what you think. We aren't—Harry and I haven't,"

He interrupted her. "I don't bloody well care what you and that stupid git have or haven't done. You are the mother of my children, the children you claim to love yet abandon to go gallivanting off with _Scarhead_ _Potter_. _Five_ months. Five **bloody** months Hermione you were gone and never even bothered to check in just once to see about their welfare. Not once." Draco said in a quietly angry voice surprising himself at how civilly he was handling this.

"I didn't abandon them, Draco. I promise you I didn't. I was only to be gone a week no more. It was never my intent to abandon them."

"It's a shame then, isn't it Hermione that your actions speak louder than your words. You never wanted to be married to me nor did you expect to have my children. But, you did both and now you must deal with the consequences."

"What does that mean? Draco, what are you talking about?" Hermione asked scared by the quiet tone of his voice. From the brief period of time they'd had been married she'd seen him various stages of anger even while they had been plotting to destroy Voldemort. He was at his most dangerous when he outwardly appeared to be unaffected. And throughout the turbulent times at war she'd seen him strike down the enemies with a deadly blow all the while seemingly unaffected. Unconsciously she pressed herself back against the door.

"I've decided that it is time to end this sham of a marriage. I'm having it annulled. The children, are mine, they will remain my custody." He stepped away from her and moved to the closet where the doors opened and out rolled two suitcases to his feet. "It's ironic that you selected today of all days to return. As of today, Hermione Malfoy no longer exists. I've taken the liberties of having your belongings packed. You can leave when you're ready." He moved to leave going out the door.

Froze in shock by Draco's revelation she jumped into action grabbing his arm. "You can't do this, Draco. They're my children too."

"Correction, they _were_ your children before you abandoned them. Now, they are mine. You are not worthy enough to be their mother in my eyes you are dead." He pulled her hand off his arm and looked down at her with no emotion in his eyes. "Get of my home; you are no longer welcome here. I'm warning you, stay away from my children." With that he left her in the room.

_For several months, following her impromptu annulment she tried everything she could think of to gain access to her children from Draco but nothing she did seemed to work. He rebuffed her efforts at every try. Until finally one day she stopped trying. She even avoided looking at Witch Weekly so she wouldn't have to see pictures of them without her. She recalled the last time she'd seen him …_

They had agreed to meet at the hotel bar in London. She suspected it was because he wanted to ensure she wouldn't be able to see the children. They were going to turn one year old the next day and he wanted this cleared up before then or so he said the last time they talked. So here she was strolling into the hotel bar to meet her ex-husband and the father of her children. She spotted him sitting in the darkest corner of the bar dressed as per usual in all black. His hair was longer then it had been the last time she had seen it, it reached just below his shoulders and was currently framed around his face.

Clutching the strap of her purse she walked over to the table and took the seat opposite him. Her hands settled in her lap.

"I hear that congratulations are in order."

"What?" Instead of answering Draco merely waved a hand his left hand in the air. "Oh. Yes, Harry and I are engaged." She silently waited for a reaction from him but there was none.

"I heard about it. But, that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm sure you asked me here for a reason," Draco prompted not wanting this meeting to go on any longer than was necessary.

"You're quite right. My impending marriage to Harry and our current situation has made me realize some things about myself that I'm not quite proud of. And I feel the need to clear the air so to speak before I get married."

"I don't think there's anything between us that needs to be clarified. I married you to keep Voldemort from killing you. We had sex and you got pregnant and had the twins, left me and started an affair with Potter. We got marriage annulled and now you're engaged. It seems pretty simple if you ask me."

Hermione frowned. "You make it sound so cold and calculating."

"Well I see no reason to romanticize or overanalyze our prior relationship. And it's not like I have the time what with Elana and Ariel running around. So bearing that in mind would you get to the bloody point Hermione."

"I-I wanted to tell you that I never meant to hurt you or the children. I was overwhelmed honestly. All my life, I've been Hermione Granger, a know-it-all, best at everything I've ever tried. And then suddenly I was someone's mother. I thought after I had them that everything would come to me naturally. That I would automatically be a good mother but … I wasn't. I couldn't even get the twins to feed from me at first."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Spare me your tales of the trials of motherhood. I was there remember. The trouble feeding only lasted an hour. After that they had no trouble getting the nourishment they needed from you."

"I know. But, still … the point is that I just don't have that mothering gene that other women seem to have. The children could tell that's why they never reacted to me the same way they did to you. I would struggle for hours to get them to sleep and then you would come in and all you have to do is hold them in your arms and they calm down instantly."

Draco wanted to tell her that the children calmed easier when he held them because they could feel the vibration of his voice and it reminded them of the womb, but he didn't. "Hermione, it takes time to get those responses. Didn't you think I was scared as well? I'm an only child and the only children I've ever known are the twins. But, I took the time to learn what they needed and you could have learned too if you hadn't run away like you did."

"I suppose you're right. But, I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not meant to be the mothering type. Maybe, I never was meant. Before all this happened I never intended to have children."

"And now?" He prompted.

"And now I realize that I'm not cut out to be a mother. It's not something I can do well at all. So in a way I guess I'm glad that the children are with you because I know they will have a full-time parent who loves them."

"What happens when you and Harry decide to have children then?" Draco asked not believing that this was the same woman who for months tried everything short of announcing to the world that she was the twins' mother to see her children.

"Oh it's not just with our children. I mean children in general, I don't want any and Harry understands that it's just not going to happen. It's nothing personal Draco, truly it isn't. Which brings me to the reason I've asked you to meet with me, I wanted to request that you never tell the children of me. Ever."

Draco drained the wine he'd been drinking. "Let me get this straight you want nothing to do with children? Absolutely nothing, no contact ever?"

"I-I just want to have a clear chance with Harry with no baggage or secrets weighing me down with this marriage. No baggage, no children, no you." She pronounced slowly and smiled.

Draco stared at her in amazement. He couldn't believe this was the same woman he'd spent years with fighting against Voldemort. The same woman who had his children. But, then he realized that she was also the same woman who walked out on his when the children had been barely a month old. Placing his glass back on the table he stood up. "Whatever you want Hermione. No problem, No baggage, no children, no me." He turned and walked away from the table his long swirling around him she called him back.

"Wait take these, they're birthday gifts for the twins. Think of it as a farewell parting gift." She took two small boxes out of her purse and handed to Draco.

He took the boxes without word and left the Muggle bar. …

_Rocking back in the chair she thought back to that last meeting with Draco she didn't know what happened. She didn't know how she could have said all those things to him. To tell Draco that she didn't want their children. It just didn't make sense. Sure, she remembered being there saying the things she did to him but it was like someone else had control of her body as though she were watching everything happen from someone else's eyes. But, that couldn't have happened? Could it, could someone have taken control of her body without her knowledge. And if someone did what would they have to gain from it?_

**Alright, that's it just tell me what you think good or bad, feedback is greatly appreciated!**


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